George Quasha: is a poet, writer, musician, and artist was born in White Plains, New York, and grew up in Florida. His many full collections of poetry include Amanita’s Hymnal (1970), Magic Spell for the Far Journey (1971), Somapoetics (1973), Word-Yum: Somapoetics 64-69 (1974), Giving the Lily Back Her Hands (1979), Ainu Dreams (with Chie Hasegawa, 1999), and preverbs, Verbal Paradise (2011).

Naomi Shihab Nye: most recent book is Grace Notes – Poems about Families and her forthcoming book is Sidekick (BOA Editions, 2026).

Uche Nduka: is a Nigerian-American poet, essayist, and collagist. He is the author of 15 volumes of poems of which the latest are TO UMBER (The Bodily Press, 2025) and BAINBRIDGE ISLAND NOTEBOOK (Roof Books, 2023). He lives in New York City and teaches at Eugene Lang College-The New School and Queens College (CUNY).

Mitch Highfill: is the author of Five (Lunar Chandelier Collective) and Liquid Affairs (United Artists). He lives in Brooklyn.